Of Course There's A Bernie Sanders Video Game Where You Dodge Fat Cats And Use Facts As Weapons

Bernie Arcade wasn't developed for Bernie's 2016 presidential bid. This is actually a ten-year-old browser-based game launched as part of an effort to get Mr. Sanders elected to the Senate in 2016. Apparently it worked out pretty well, which makes one wonder why his campaign hasn't launched a new mobile game in 2006. After all, Bernie Arcade isn't so different from say, Flappy Bird.

In it, you fly as Bernie himself in a little one-man hydro-plane, navigating a sky full of enemies with the arrow keys. Bogies include right-wingers (literally wings with the letter R,) as well as bombardments of rather obese kitty-cats, and bags of flying money. You can pick up Hydrogen to stay alive longer, or swoop into grab fact sheets which serve as your arsenal.

Vermont band the Cleary Brothers provide the bluegrass soundtrack. Here's a little video of one of my middling playthroughs of the game. (I played a handful of times and scored in the low 100's on my best try, though I admit I didn't give this one too much of a chance.)

When you die, Bernie's voice intones over the screen: "The good news is—and there is some good news out there—that is an unbelievable number." Yeah, 49 is one hell of a number alright.

Oh, and the Sanders campaign should really update this for 2016 and release it on iOS and Android. I mean...why not? It's a great bit of messaging that's cute and not too serious and gets Bernie's core campaign points across effectively and easily.